FYI Ancient tree form & tpo rewiew

[Craig Johnson]

thought that some of you would like to help on this:thumbup1:, it may have been posted else where1

 

Ancient and vulnerable trees need your help today

> -------------------------------------------------

>

> The Ancient Tree Forum and the Woodland Trust need your support to stop avoidable loss of Ancient Trees

> and to help protect one of the most important habitats a tree can provide - dead wood.

>

> The Tree Preservation Order (TPO) in England is currently being reviewed and we are concerned about

> some proposed changes which would reduce, rather than improve, protection and could directly affect

> beautiful and valuable ancient and veteran trees*.

>

> The Department of Communities and Local Government proposes to continue to allow all dead trees,

> however valuable, to be felled without consent. There is also a proposal to introduce a similar exception

> for the removal of dead branches - vital habitats that naturally develop as trees age - on living trees.

>

> Essentially this means that very old, historic and wildlife-rich dead trees and dead branches of living

> veteran trees could be completely removed, rather than managed for stability.

>

> Please help us prevent such a backward step in tree and habitat protection!

>

> The Trust has set up an emergency campaign with the Ancient Tree Forum to feed directly into the public

> consultation process.

>

> Go straight to the live petition where you can add your own voice to ours**.

> Take action to protect dead and dying trees from exceptions to new TPO rules - Woodland Trust

>

> PLEASE, find 2 minutes today to feed directly into this consultation and pass it on to your friends

> and contacts. This consultation ends 20th December.

>

> In haste,

> Neville and Nikki

>

> Neville Fay - chair, Ancient Tree Forum

> Nikki Williams - head of campaigning, Woodland Trust

>

> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

> This beautifully animated film illustrates some of the very special habitats created by deadwood:

> [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piCWcjm4W9k]YouTube - Reliable and Tidy Hoverfly Looking for A Place to Live (High Res)[/ame]

> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

>

> * Over the last 4 years the Trust's Ancient Tree Hunt (http://www.ancienttreehunt.org.uk) has

> recorded approximately 80,000 trees that are of importance to people across the UK, including

> 192 ancient dead trees. A significant proportion of veteran trees have dead branches in their

> crowns; this is not only a threatened habitat but is a fundamental part of their character and

> visual appeal which can remain for decades and longer if carefully managed. If these changes are

> passed there will be no protection for the values that make these trees special.

>

> ** Further information and the proposed joint response from the Ancient Tree Forum and Woodland Trust

> can be found here:

> Help us reject proposed TPO exceptions and protect important and vulnerable trees - the Woodland Trust

[Bundle 2]

As it relates to the first part of your post Judge, I have just come from a update review of, amongst other issues planning related, the so called "consolidation" of secondary statements pertaining the TPO regs....( the proposed streamlining to thee & me!)

I have to confess, despite having at first come down in favour of the exemptions ( now exceptions...semantic tosh imo..but what do I know? ) being refined to omit "dying" as 1 in 3 as we know it currently....It is important to realise that the OMISSION is the actual change.

If Neville thinks he can rally support for some sort of travesty in legislation oversight, the dead already sits there in B&W as one of the three. Nothing new there .

First let it be said that no primary legislation can be actioned from this review. It simply remains beyond the scope of the proposals.

That said....whilst all this talk of streamlining workloads and bureaucratic red tape might seem to be the talk to tantalise our hopes...I wish in all I heard today, there could have been some kind of quantified appraisal as to the real measure of this particular refinement on the ground. Frankly, there remain more reasons to deny this refinement a flying permit as it serves what purpose(?) And yet....the deadwood habitat issue is as important and pressing as ever it was. The proposals are not nearly what is needed...I would have to agree!

I would suggest that blocking the change to deny removal of dying is not worthwhile. I can see that many a misunderstanding may be avoided infact....Discussion as to deadwood habitat value is not the same issue atall. Its hard to see quite what point is being made in this post. Look to EU directives re: biodiversity if you wanna stick one on "big society " politics...I wouldnt blame you...I didn't vote for them...but then.....can any of us really say we did? And even now, we arn't getting what it said on the tin!

 

People have until Monday 20 Dec to reply to the online consultation....Do it online.

[sloth]

This is an excellent cause to fight for, even on a small scale people want their trees, or even wooded areas sanitised and cleared of all dead wood, due to opinions based on unfounded facts. Ie dead wood is dangerous, or must be diseased and therefore removed. I sincerely hope tpo legislation can be changed to provide more protection for these wonderful habitats; you have my support

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

One of the motives behind all that i do is to increase appreciation for all the life that lives within and upon this vital resource, im hoping to get my hands on the new BS3998 to see what they finalised with regard deadwood provisions.

 

As for the TPO issue, if a tree is dead diseased dangerous it is covered by an act that means special dispensation for immidiate work, work that the council would be hel acountable for holding up if this order was changed, it is the BS standards that are key here, it is this standard that we all are commited to work too.

 

I agree in principal to this action, but in reality, it is not worth persuing nor is it realistic and practical. let us focus our time and energy to the standards by which we are all duty bound to adhere to, including councils.

 

and what of the utilities, railworks water board etc etc etc who are blanket excempt from such restrictions? thay have vast swathes of habitat, often in valuable "corridor" formats, yet they can do what ever they see fit!